Saints, Bombers no closer on Carlisle

Adelaide could emerge as a key player in helping to break the impasse between St Kilda and Essendon over Jake Carlisle.

On the opening day of the AFL trade period, the Bombers reaffirmed their demand for pick No.5 in return for the 23-year-old tall – a draft selection the Saints steadfastly maintain they won’t use in a direct swap.

But St Kilda list manager Ameet Bains hasn’t ruled out trading the pick to a third party, and moving down the draft order, in a move designed to free up a suitable selection that would get the Carlisle deal done.

“We’ve had a couple of hypothetical discussions (with Adelaide) prior to today but they only had the (one) first-round pick so there’s certainly scope for further discussion beyond today,” Bains said.

“There are a few different scenarios that we’re investigating at the moment. We certainly want to get a trade done with Essendon – that’s clearly our intent – and if we’re able to improve on the pick 24 that we currently have, and that they think is not enough, then that’s certainly what we’ll be trying to do.”

The Crows became a key player in the top half of the draft on Monday when they traded Patrick Dangerfield to Geelong for picks 9 and 28 along with untried South Australian midfielder Dean Gore.

Adelaide also has picks 13 and 32, and while they’re keen to add top-end talent with those selections, Crows head of football David Noble is open to listening to offers from the Saints, or any other club for that matter.

“There’s elements of this deal that allow us to position ourselves for the remainder of this couple of weeks,” Noble said.

“I think if you go back and look at our history we’re a club that’s always been able to do that and manoeuvre our way through.

“So that’s certainly an option now for us to consider. We don’t have to chase it right at the end.

“All of the elements of what we do, even last year, are constructed in a specific way to strategise around what you want to do.”

While Carlisle is no closer to joining St Kilda, Collingwood remain confident they are edging closer to thrashing out a deal with Greater Western Sydney for want-away onballer Adam Treloar.

In other trade and free agency news on Monday, West Coast sent their first-round pick (currently No.17) to Brisbane in exchange for midfielder Jack Redden.

Essendon also reported that Brisbane ruckman Matthew Leuenberger opted to join them as a restricted free agent, while unrestricted free agent Matt Suckling left reigning premiers Hawthorn to sign with the Western Bulldogs.

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